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Pamela Whitten Named President of Kennesaw State University

ATLANTA, Ga.
(Jun 12, 2018) — Today, the Board of Regents named Dr. Pamela Whitten president of Kennesaw State University
(KSU). Whitten will begin her new position July 16.

Whitten currently serves as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
at the University of Georgia (UGA), a position she has held since 2014.

“Dr. Whitten brings a deep commitment toward building an outstanding academic experience
for students, as well as an uncompromising dedication toward quality research and
leadership that will serve KSU and its community well,” said University System of
Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “We are excited about the feedback from students,
faculty and staff who participated in Dr. Whitten’s campus visits last week. I look
forward to seeing KSU thrive as she takes this important role.”

“It is an honor and privilege to join the KSU community,” Whitten said. “I am thrilled
to be able to partner with the entire Owl Nation to champion our students, faculty
and staff across Georgia and beyond.”

As UGA’s chief academic officer, Whitten oversees instruction, research, public service
and outreach, student affairs and information technology — a portfolio that includes
17 schools and colleges with 37,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
Among other initiatives, UGA during her tenure hired 56 new faculty to reduce class
sizes for undergraduates, increased external research support 37 percent, added 30
endowed chairs and professorships and increased summer enrollment by 25 percent. The
campus launched a new learning requirement to give undergraduates out-of-classroom
experience through internships, research and other forms of experiential learning.
According to the 2018 U.S. News and World Report rankings, UGA over the past three
years has jumped from #21 to #16 among the top public universities in the nation.

Prior to joining UGA, Whitten’s career included working as director for telemedicine
at the University of Kansas Medical Center before she joined the faculty at Michigan
State University, where she worked her way up through the faculty ranks before eventually
serving as dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

She is an internationally recognized expert in the field of telemedicine — the remote
delivery of health care services and information — and has conducted research with
nearly $30 million in funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health
and the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has co-authored two books and published more
than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters.

Whitten holds a Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Kansas, a master’s
degree in organizational communication from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor
of science in management degree from Tulane University. Among other organizations,
she sits on the boards of the UGA Athletics Association, UGA Foundation, Georgia Museum
of Art and Georgia Humanities.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 35,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. A Carnegie-designated doctoral institution, it is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.